


little fishes teeming

by surgicalstainless



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Secret Pantry Makeout Sessions, Team Bonding, it seemed like a good idea at the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 14:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3573530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surgicalstainless/pseuds/surgicalstainless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Q:</b>  How many Avengers can you fit into a walk-in pantry?<br/><b>A:</b>  <em>At least one more.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	little fishes teeming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stitchlips](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stitchlips/gifts).



> ...soooo, I kind of took the first line of your prompt — "Steve finds Bucky" — and ran off in a completely different direction with it. Sorry. But I like to think this fic stays true to the _spirit_ of the prompt, if not the letter of it. Hope you like it!
> 
> Much love and gratitude to my beta readers, [Amethystina](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethystina/pseuds/Amethystina) and [ jjjat3am](http://archiveofourown.org/users/jjjat3am/pseuds/jjjat3am), who made encouraging noises and laughed at all the right parts. <3

Bucky didn't mean to start anything.

It was just that the television was on in the living room, and Clint was singing along, enthusiastic but off-key. Stark was on his phone in the kitchen, raising his voice to be heard over the blender. Music drifted down the hall from someone's suite, and... It was all too _loud_. Bucky went into the walk-in pantry looking for one of those stupid protein shakes, and when the door swung shut behind him —

Bliss.

So he found the protein shake, sat down on a case of something, and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Steve stuck his head in a few minutes later. "Buck? You okay?"

Bucky blinked in confusion. "...Yeah?" He was sitting in the far back corner, leaning against the wall with one leg extended to rest on a convenient shelf. His other leg was bent, heel tucked snug against his ass, and he had the protein shake balanced on the flat surface of his flexed knee. Bucky let his head loll back against the wall, and considered the view. Steve had that little line between his eyebrows that meant he was worried, but trying to hide it.

 _Oh_ , Bucky thought. Out loud, he said, "It's nice in here. Peaceful."

Steve's expression cleared a little. "Mind if I join you?"

"Be my guest." Bucky waved his hand. "Pull up a crate of —" he checked, quickly. "Mountain Dew. Why do we have so much soda here? That stuff's gross."

"I know," said Steve. He came all the way into the pantry, closing the door behind him, and sat down with a sigh. "You sure you're okay?"

"'M fine, Steve. It just... gets loud out there sometimes."

"I _know_." Steve relaxed, and his eyes drooped shut in sympathy.

Bucky took the opportunity to appreciate the line of those broad shoulders. They still seemed like a novelty, sometimes. "Wouldn't say no to a hug, though."

Steve shot him a look, side-eyed.

Bucky grabbed the protein shake and let his knees splay open a little further. He lowered his eyelashes at Steve. "Hugs are _very_ comforting."

"Well, if you think it'll help..." Steve's mouth was quirking up at the corners, and he leaned in slowly.

Bucky set his drink down and went to meet him, hand ghosting along the golden stubble of Steve's jaw to rest on his neck, fingers tickling the fine hairs at his nape. Bucky licked his lips and tilted his face up —

But Steve dodged the kiss and slid his arms around Bucky's waist, pulling him close. Bucky made a disappointed sound.

"You said _hug_ ," Steve admonished him, his voice teasing.

"Can't we multitask?" Bucky's protest was muffled in the soft fabric of Steve's shirt, but he relaxed into the embrace nonetheless. Steve gave _really good_ hugs.

In answer, Steve turned his head to nip at Bucky's throat, and then soothed the sting with a line of soft, wet kisses.

"Nngh," Bucky said, and loosened his hold on Steve's shoulders so he could tilt his head back more.

Steve reversed the trail of kisses, retracing his path up Bucky's neck until he reached his ear. "You mean like this?" Steve breathed, directly into said ear, and then stuck his tongue in it.

"Gaahhhh," Bucky agreed. After a moment, he gathered his wits enough to resume his grip on Steve's neck and pull him in for a real kiss. Steve just bit gently at Bucky's bottom lip. In retaliation, Bucky used both hands to hold Steve still and try his best to kiss him silly. There was a lot of tongue involved, their teeth clashed once or twice, and when Bucky pulled away for breath a line of spit hung shining, caught between their lips.

Steve did not notice. "Ohhh," he sighed, and leaned back in, chasing Bucky's plush mouth.

Bucky wasn't going far. He shifted his legs and turned, so he could climb up to straddle Steve's lap. Steve watched him, his upturned face almost reverent, his pupils wide, eyes slack-lidded. He looked so beautiful Bucky couldn't help but take his face in both hands and kiss him again. Beneath them, the cans of Mountain Dew made ominous crinkling noises. Bucky ignored them and sucked on Steve's tongue. Steve gave a throaty groan.

The pantry door opened and Natasha walked in, intent on her phone.

Steve froze. Bucky reluctantly followed suit.

"Uh, Nat?" Bucky said. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, no," Natasha said, thumbs dancing over her screen. She perched on a convenient shelf. "Go right ahead."

Bucky spent a good few seconds leveling her an angry glare, which she ignored. Then he shrugged, and turned back to Steve. Steve turned his face away, though, so Bucky contented himself with kissing just under the angle of his jaw. "It's okay, Steve, she said she doesn't mind," he mumbled between kisses.

"I kind of do," Steve muttered back, though his head tipped to the side almost involuntarily as he spoke. He straightened with an effort. "We should, _ah_ , go."

"We were here first," Bucky whined, and wriggled in Steve's lap for emphasis. "Nat, what are you _doing?_ "

"Words With Friends." She smirked at them and waggled her phone. "It's fun. You should try it sometime."

Bucky dropped his head to Steve's shoulder with a grunt of frustration. "We were doing just fine _without_ the words until you showed up."

Any reply Natasha might have made was forestalled when the pantry door quietly opened a few inches and Clint slipped in.

"Ha! You're not _that_ sneaky, Romanoff." He sounded pleased with himself, but kept his voice soft. "Also, that was supposed to be _my_ triple word score."

She rolled her eyes.

"What is this," Bucky demanded, "the happening spot for secret makeout sessions? Cause I gotta say, pal —"

He broke off in the face of Clint's flat, uncomprehending stare. Clint held the stare until Bucky squirmed and climbed off Steve's lap to sit beside him on the crate of soda, then held it a minute more.

Natasha snorted, very softly.

"You're good at that," Steve remarked.

Clint grinned and leaned against some shelves full of canned fruit. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"So if you're not here for a secret tryst —" Steve held out his hand, as if to ward off that stare again, "why _are_ you here?"

Clint opened his mouth. Natasha kicked him in the ankle. The pantry door flew open.

"Aha!" cried Darcy in a loud stage-whisper, and marched into the pantry, dragging Jane by the wrist. Jane considerately shut the door behind her.

"What," said Bucky.

"You can't bring Jane with you, that's cheating," Clint protested.

Darcy widened her eyes and affected a pout. "She followed me home, Hawkeye. Can I keep her, can I?"

Natasha and Jane sniggered. Clint scowled. Darcy stuck her tongue out at him.

" _What_ ," said Bucky.

Darcy moved to the space next to Natasha and made herself comfortable on a few sacks of flour. She smiled at the others, then patted the spot next to her for Jane. "This is an excellent time for lunch, I think. Does anyone see any granola bars?"

"It's three in the afternoon," Bucky said.

Darcy shot him a Look.

Clint had been busy rummaging around, though, and he presented Darcy with a large green box marked "variety pack." She smiled up at him, which made a faint blush rise on his cheekbones. He coughed, folded his arms, and resumed leaning against the canned fruit.

"Ooh, chocolate cherry!" Darcy exclaimed, intent on the box. She handed Jane a couple of foil-wrapped bars. "Does anyone else want one?"

"I'll take a peanut butter," Clint said.

Steve sat up straighter. "Is there apple cinnamon?" he asked. Bucky frowned at him, which Steve ignored completely.

Darcy cheerfully tossed Clint and Steve a granola bar each and then, with a thoughtful look, tossed a second bar at Steve. He passed it to Bucky, who kept frowning, but ate the snack anyway. Chocolate chip. Not too bad.

The pantry door opened.

"Friends!" cried Thor.

With startling speed, Darcy leaped off her flour sack and grabbed Thor's arm, hauling him inside. Natasha leaned over and closed the door again.

Thor frowned in puzzlement. "I seek the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Is this some secret enclave I have stumbled upon?"

Darcy patted Thor's arm and settled down once again next to Jane. "Sort of. We have Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but there's no milk in here. Want a granola bar instead?"

Jane smiled up at Thor, who grinned affectionately back. "Come sit by us," she invited.

Thor did so. The pantry was a large one, but there were now seven people in it, and Thor was quite capable of making any room feel small all by himself. He hunched carefully into the corner opposite Steve and Bucky, mindful of the boxes of cereal stored there. Thor smiled at Bucky, who could only manage a nonplussed nod in return.

Steve caught Bucky's eye, his eyebrows raised. Bucky shrugged, face an irritated frown. Steve cleared his throat. "Just what —"

The pantry door opened.

Sam slithered in, closing the door behind him, and viewed the assembled crowd with satisfaction. He nodded at Natasha and moved to the back of the pantry, smiling greetings as he went. There was a small space between Thor and Bucky; Sam wedged himself into it.

"Took you long enough," Clint scoffed.

"To be fair," Sam told him, "I wasn't actually _in_ the Tower when Natasha's text went out. And I'm not even last one here."

"You flew here?" Steve said.

Sam smiled conspiratorially but declined to answer.

"To sit in the pantry with all of us," Steve said.

Sam shrugged. They were packed so tight that the movement jostled Bucky. "I'm a competitive guy," Sam offered, as if that explained anything at all. Bucky scowled at him. Sam grinned back.

The pantry door opened.

Bruce stood in the doorway, a ceramic teapot held in one hand. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the crowd within, all looking at him expectantly. He took a step back, but it was too late.

"Bruce!" cried Clint, Darcy, Jane, and Sam together, enthusiastic but subdued. Natasha smiled, and stepped forward to take Bruce by the arm.

"I just wanted some tea," he told everyone, holding up his teapot as proof. Natasha pulled him irresistibly into the close-packed pantry. "This is a terrible idea."

The door clicked closed behind him.

There was a brief pause as everyone resettled themselves. Darcy passed around more granola bars, and when those disappeared, Thor broke out the cereal. Soon various boxes were circulating through the crowd, everyone grabbing a dry handful of whatever came within reach. Silence descended on the pantry, broken only by contented munching and the rustling of wrappers.

"Uh... Does anyone have anything to drink?" That was Jane, her slight form almost hidden by Thor, Darcy and Bruce. "Dry cereal always makes me thirsty."

A general rustling ensued.

"Steve and I are sitting on an assload of Mountain Dew," Bucky volunteered. Steve elbowed him in the ribs. Clint snickered. Bucky gave Clint an approving grin.

Sam said, "There's a half-full carton of protein shake right by my foot."

"That's mine," Bucky immediately replied, and reached for it.

"Banana flavor?" Sam made a face. "Man, that's disgusting."

" _You're_ disgusting," Bucky shot back. "You don't even know how bananas are supposed to taste."

"Oh, _I'm_ disgusting." Sam scoffed, and sniffed, loudly.

Bucky sat up straighter. "You saying I _smell_ , Wilson?"

Sam smirked, and inclined his head in a manner that made Bucky want to burst out laughing, but also punch him.

There followed a short, extremely close-quarters shoving match. Steve buried his face in his hands.

Natasha delicately cleared her throat. "There's a case of bottled water under this shelf."

"Oh god yes," Darcy said, and made grabby hands. Natasha passed her several, and then gave a bottle to any of the others who wanted one. Everyone was thirsty, it seemed.

"Does anybody else hear that?" Jane, again, her head cocked in concentration.

Everybody stilled to listen. In the quiet a faint whirring noise could be heard. One by one, every head turned to trace the sound to its source, in the far back corner of the pantry.

Bucky's cheeks took on a rosy tint. "It's _warm_ in here," he muttered, and crossed his arms tight over his chest. The whirring muffled a little.

A softer whooshing sound started up overhead. The air felt immediately fresher, and Bucky wasn't the only one looking up in relief.

"Thanks, JARVIS," Sam said, a little too heartfelt. Bucky put a metal elbow in his ribs.

"Of course, sir," replied JARVIS, his voice at a lower volume than normal. "And might I warn —"

The pantry door burst open.

"I _knew_ it!" Tony Stark stood in the doorway, smiling wide and wild-eyed. His shirt was both scorched and grease-stained, and he looked delighted to see them all. "Make a hole, I'm coming in."

"Tony, no —" Bruce tried, but too late. Tony had already thrown himself bodily into the crush. Bruce bobbled his teapot. Clint shoved until Tony was more or less upright. Natasha reached out and shut the door.

"I was afraid I'd be last," Tony said, breathless. "JARVIS wouldn't help."

"That would be cheating," Natasha agreed solemnly.

"Who's left, then?" asked Sam, hidden from view at the back of the pantry.

"Just Rhodey," replied Clint with satisfaction.

"Hush!" hissed Natasha, closest to the door. "I hear footsteps."

 

What came next was not perfect silence.

Tony wriggled, which jostled Bruce, who stumbled onto Jane's foot.

Jane let out a muffled squeak.

Darcy reached up to slap a hand over Jane's mouth, and inadvertently smacked Thor.

Thor flinched away, bumping Sam, who fell against the crate of Mountain Dew Steve and Bucky were sitting on.

There was a metallic crumpling sound, and then an ominous hiss.

Steve and Bucky leaped up, jostling Bruce again, who bumped into Tony.

Tony grabbed Natasha for support, flinched violently, and reached for Clint instead.

"Oh! Sorry!"  
"Careful!"  
"Are you all right?"  
"Watch it, buddy."  
"Nails! Fingernails!"  
"Did your drink spill?"  
"Ow! Fuck!"  
"Stop it, Tony! That tickles —"

There was a crunch. Then a sharp tearing sound, a much larger crunch, a cascade of metallic thuds, a wooden _crack_ , and a high-pitched shatter. And then a soft pattering sound, as flour, dry cereal, and plaster dust fell like wind-blown ocean spray.

"OOPS," said Hulk.

The pantry door did not so much open as fall gently from its hinges.

Rhodey stood beyond it, his face carefully blank. "This means I lose, right?" He peered into the wreckage of the pantry. "I think I'm okay with losing."

Tony patted Hulk on the arm and picked his way carefully out of the debris. "Pretty sure we all lose, this time."

Natasha pulled Clint to his feet and together they limped toward the nearest bathroom. Hulk shuffled out, shamefaced. Thor helped Jane and Darcy up and away, all three of them completely covered in flour. Sam followed them, somehow both floury and sticky.

Bucky flopped back down on the crate of Mountain Dew, which gave under his weight and oozed sluggishly. There were Froot Loops in his ponytail. "All I wanted was some peace and quiet," he moaned.

Steve had been leaning against some shelving, taking in the wreckage with an expression that was half exasperation, half awe. He straightened up at Bucky's words, though, and leaned in to steal a kiss. His lips were dusty, flour-coated and sweet. "It's quiet now."

And it was, save for a gentle drip somewhere beneath Bucky and the occasional groan as broken shelves settled in the ruins.

Bucky thought about that. "Peace is overrated," he decided, and gave a slow grin. "Now, where were we?"

Steve propped the pantry door closed as best he could and showed him.

.

**Author's Note:**

> [Sardines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide-and-seek#Sardines) is a variation of hide-and-seek where one person hides and everyone else looks. Once you find the person, you have to join them in their hiding spot. Last one in loses, and has to hide the next round. That seems like an excellent game for a bunch of superheroes to play, don't you think?
> 
>  
> 
> Here I am on [tumblr](http://z-delenda-est.tumblr.com/); come on and join me! It's not at all crowded, I swear :)


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